Will Freeman (David Walton) is a carefree womanizer living off of the royalties of his one hit song. Weird new-age Fiona (Minnie Driver) and her odd son Marcus move in next door and turn Will's life upside down. Will forms a tight bond with Marcus despite his misgivings. Fiona is horrified at first but grows to see the good in their relationship. Will's best friend Andy (Al Madrigal) is married to bossy lawyer Laurie.'About a Boy' is a very good movie but it means nothing for a TV adaptation. The story is reasonably set up for a TV sitcom as long as the actors are good. I like all three actors and I love their chemistry. I don't always love Al Madrigal but he's more like a side character. The kid is adorably dorky and Walton is fun. Minnie Driver is a no-brainer. I love the chemistry especially between Walton and the kid.

When you take this show on its own, without background knowledge of both the book and the movie, then it's an alright show. However, if you're a lover of the original text, you might want to skip this version. Unlike the original text, this version sets the story in San Francisco. Basically they have Americanized the story. That is not necessarily a problem. But when little inaccuracies pile up, things get annoying. I had to shout a few times, so annoyed at what I was seeing. Marcus singing 'What makes you Beautiful' I mean come on, it what universe would that happen. They have missed the mark with the original story. None of the characters formed enough to make an impression. Will lost any substance he had, Marcus was nothing like the lovable character seen in the book and movie. Fiona's treatment was probably the worst, reduced to a hippie dippy stereotype. The characters lost all what interesting about them, what people loved about them. I have to admit I have only watched the first episode. What a saw was not stellar. It moved so quick, racing through plot points without any development. The relationship between Will and Marcus had little growth, suddenly they were best buds. Fiona 'breaksdown' her serious case of depression passed over in a few sentences. What this episode needed was time, it seemed to be in a rush. Hopefully some developments occur but this episode seemed to be rushing to the end, and not in a good way.All in all, this show is just another run-of-the-mill sitcoms, nothing special. It does not hold true to the fantastic book and movie in which it shares a name. I cannot recommend this show, but do checkout the original texts.

The excellent script and acting make this new show a highlight of the week. Our family - two sons ages 14, 11, mom and dad, love to watch it together as it has something for everyone. The relationships that develops between superficial, sworn bachelor Will (David Walton) and his new neighbors - wise, precocious 11 year old Marcus (Benjamin Stockham) and his single, intense, vegan, mother Fiona (Minnie Driver), is funny, filled with life lessons (value of love and friendship) as the three become closer and begin to learn from one another. Secondary characters like Will's friend Andy (Al Madrigal) are also excellent and well cast. Wonderful chemistry and dynamics between the lead characters! Great script!

"We still up for ribs?"I watched this show with low intentions. The real reason I watched the pilot is because I've seen pretty much every good show released in the last decade. The show is no Breaking Bad or Big Bang Theory but despite the budget/premise/ and everything I decided to give it a watch.Will Freeman lives a charmed existence. After writing a hit song, he was granted a life of free time, free love and freedom from financial woes. He's single, unemployed and loving it. So imagine his surprise when Fiona, a needy single mom and her oddly charming 11-year-old son, Marcus, move in next door and disrupt his perfect world. When Marcus begins dropping by his home unannounced, Will's not so sure about being a kid's new best friend, until, of course, Will discovers that women find single dads irresistible. That changes everything.The storyline seems condensed, as if two episode plots were badly cut together into one. And everything falls just short of believable, starting with the blonde Cellist's rapid acceptance of Will's wild make-believe leukemia-afflicted, African voodoo saved son.Driver's character is grating, pushy, and not appealing or likable, so her son's jokes about dating her fall flat; there is no chemistry between her and Walton. The plot is predictable and Walton's rescue of Marcus at the talentshow lacks any emotional punch while also being over the top. No one at a middle school talent show would react with such bipolar reactions- from throwing paper wads and insults to a standing ovation to a mediocre rendition of a pop-song.Once you strip down the predictable jokes; you're left with a banal arrangement of gender and social stereotypes. Fiona's new-age sensibilities are read only as a failure of parenting, and Will's toxicity as a single man is viewed through the prism of disapproval.Overall, this just goes to show that most sit-coms that premiere during mid-season are bound to fail. For these reasons About a Boy gets a 1/10.